best 27 lcd displays 2017 free sample

27 inch monitors with 1440p resolutions are quickly rising in popularity as an upgrade to aging 24-inch 1080p products. Even if the latter still has a strong following and staying power in both casual and competitive situations, it will eventually be replaced by the next logical step.

QHD monitors are also the next best thing to the highly-sought after 4K displays, since you get a massive increase in pixels without requiring a ton of GPU power. Even if you don’t get as much visual space and resolution like what 4K can give if you compare QHD to 1080p monitors you will enjoy more than a 70 percent increase which is great for both games and productivity.

This category is best suited to 27-inch form factors for a more natural look, although 24-inch 1440p monitors like the Dell S2417DG will look sharper, but you might end up squinting to see smaller objects like text. This type of display also came down in price considerably over the past year, since supply and demand are at an all-time high.  Here’s our guide to the best 27 inch monitor (monitor 27) 1440p for gaming.

The primary answer to this dilemma is space. Most computer desks weren’t sized to fit massive TV-like monitors since the furniture business is still usually used to displays from 19 inches all the way up to 24 inches. Although we’ve seen dazzling custom setups which can hold a giant screen, full sized tower plus speakers and other peripherals, typically, most office and home tables are still limited in size.

Viewing distance is also an issue since the prescribed 20 inches to 40 inches isn’t enough once you go near or over 32-inch displays. Viewing at a farther distance also induces more issues, such as reaching the keyboard and mouse, your headset’s cable length might not be enough, or your audio spoiled by the distance since desktop speakers require a near-field perception of its output for a maximized experience.

Finally, 4K has a long way to go before it reaches its full potential in models like the Asus PG27UQ and the Acer Predator XB272-HDR, both of which have 4K at 144Hz specs. 1440p is a safer and more economical choice since these up and coming products will cost more than an arm and a leg at release, not to mention the GPU and CPU power required to utilize these specs.

The Asus PG278Q still is a top performer after becoming available for more than two years on the market, with its 144Hz 1440p panel mated to a G-Sync module which results in buttery smooth gaming for Nvidia GPU users. This product is one of the fastest we have tested to date regarding input lag, so hardcore and competitive players can enjoy a delay-free gaming session.

The Asus PG278Q is also rich in features, with excellent ergonomics, a bad-ass minimalist design, and a lot of gamer-centric extras like its GamePlus and GameVisual modes. If looks could kill, this monitor is one of the best-looking displays with its graphite black exterior and subtle, but distinct ROG treatment.  This makes sit right up top among the best 27 inch monitors.

The Acer H277HU competes in a 4K-dominated niche with its humbler QHD resolution, but at the time of our review, no other option came close to this model since it is built to work with 2016 MacBooks while looking sexy and uniform with a gold-colored Apple device.

Aside from its respectable performance in clarity, input lag and IPS-grade color vibrancy, the Acer H277HU’s secret weapon is its future-proof inclusion of a USB-C receptacle which works as an audio/video input and a power/data delivery slot. Sophisticated professionals and socialites will get a kick out of the functionality and luxurious appearance of the monitor, all while enjoying a beautiful, 27-inch IPS panel.

The Acer Predator XB271HU is another top-ranking 27-inch gaming monitor with a cutting-edge design and feature set. This monitor also runs 1440p at 27 inches, but the main advantage it possesses over our current favorite, the PG278Q is it has an overclockable 165Hz+ IPS panel with noticeable improvements in both color vibrancy and contrast.

You also get G-Sync built into the Acer Predator XB271HU’s aggressive styling, so you can enjoy buttery-smooth visuals while keeping your monster build looking like a mean machine. But the iconic look of this monitor is as functional as it is gaudy, so you can always get the best viewing angle possible. To top it all off, Acer included their GameView suite for a stunning array of options conveniently accessible via its hotkeys.

The Acer BE270U does not stand out against over 2560 x 1440 monitors specifically for made for gamers or professionals, but rather, its features make it more suitable as a happy medium between the two categories. What makes this monitor interesting is its extended 75Hz refresh rate coupled with Freesync, so users can still enjoy frag sessions after some photo or video editing on the borderless and vibrant IPS panel.

As for physical features, the Acer BE270U is as opulent as any cutting-edge professional display. This model includes an array of input options including USB-C, MHL-ready HDMI ports, and a DisplayPort in and out for daisy-chaining into a multi-screen setup. All of these are wrapped in a svelte-looking design, which does not overpower your desk.

The acclaimed BenQ Zowie XL2730 is a favorite QHD 27-inch monitor in both the enthusiast and competitive communities for its reputation in speed and gaming functionality. On average, input lag measures below 10ms making this product suitable for twitch aiming and fast-paced action.

To help with the performance hit of the massive pixel count, BenQ built the XL2730 with AMD’s Freesync technology to alleviate stutters and tears if the frames jump up and down. This product’s exterior design is one of our favorites here at MonitorNerds for its functionality and industrial design since it has enough unique features like the S-Switch Arc and other nifty gadgets.

Professional monitors ideal for color-critical work can easily cost over a thousand dollars, but the ViewSonic VP2772 outplays the norm with its affordability and stunning capabilities. The 2560 x 1440 IPS panel comes certified to work with 100% coverage of both the sRGB and Adobe RGB gamuts. This performance is made possible through the VP2772’s 12-bit engine and 14-bit LUT, so your media appears rich and accurate.

The ViewSonic VP2772 may look outdated with its gigantic stand and thick bezels, but it has excellent ergonomics, unlike other budget offerings. You also get a plethora of input options such as HDMI and DisplayPort, plus a DisplayPort out for daisy chaining multiple VP2772s.

The Asus MX27AQ looks like a work of art with its fine, aluminum exterior, making it suitable for an executive’s desk or a posh home. The borderless face features a beautiful IPS panel with vibrant colors and a decent response time, suitable for both work and multimedia enjoyment.

The Asus MX27AQ functions more like a conventional monitor, but what makes it extra-special is its built-in ICEpower speakers from Bang and Olufsen, a popular Danish audio company. This upgrade alone makes the MX27AQ noteworthy since most included pairs are either too weak or poor-sounding.  It still makes our list if the best 27 inch monitors.

The best 27 inch monitors with 1440p resolutions provide an extensive list of options you can choose from, whether for gaming or productivity. Even if the market is headed towards 4K displays, the cost to performance of these displays and the accompanying systems to run them is still the best practical choice you can make if you are upgrading.

The world is still engrossed with 1080p 24-inch monitors, and experts say that the latter still has a few years in its guts before it finally gets phased out. If it does, 1440p which sits perfectly at 27 inches will become the next mainstream. With that trail of thought, you get a more budget-friendly level of future proofing with the larger and sharper visual performance these monitors can provide.

The Asus ProArt Display PA278CV has a great-looking screen with good enough color accuracy for most people and all the ports you need to hook up desktop or laptop PCs. The PA278CV’s stand can tilt, swivel, and pivot the screen and raise and lower its height, its USB-C port can provide enough power to charge most 13-inch laptops, and it comes with a three-year warranty and a good dead-pixel policy. Its QHD resolution (2560×1440) means it isn’t as sharp as a 4K screen, but it’s also hundreds of dollars cheaper than comparable 4K monitors.

The MD271QP has a USB-C connection, making it easy to connect a modern laptop without the need for an HDMI cable or extra dongle. However, you’ll still need to plug in your laptop’s charging cable.

The MSI Modern MD271QP is a simple, streamlined 1440p monitor that’s perfect for laptop users. If you have a laptop with a USB-C port, a single cable will send the image to the monitor and slowly charge your laptop with 15 watts of power. However, you’ll still need to plug in a power cable as well to keep your laptop fully charged. The MD271QP lacks features we liked in the Asus ProArt PA278CV,including a built-in USB hub, granular color calibration controls, and blue-light filtering modes for reading. But if you don’t need to tinker with color settings or those extra USB connections, the MSI Modern MD271QP is a great monitor for $100 less than our top pick.

The Dell S2722QC is a 3840×2160 display that’s great for anyone who watches 4K content or casually edits photos or video. However, if most of your time is spent on general office work or browsing the internet, you don’t really need to spend the extra cash. The S2722QC has a USB-C port with 65 watts of charging, so it can power most laptops except higher-end devices like the Dell XPS 15-inch or the 16-inch MacBook Pros (which are picks in our guide to the best laptops for video and photo editing). For more powerful 4K displays, check out our guide for the best 4K monitors.

The ASUS ROG Strix XG27AQ is a full-featured gaming monitor with HDR, a USB hub, and a robust menu system. The XG27AQ can reach a 170 Hz refresh rate, meaning the picture is updated 170 times per second, making motion in games look smoother and more realistic. We think this monitor is a nice balance between price and premium features like HDR, an overclockable refresh rate, a USB hub, good build quality, and a sturdy stand.

Dell’s UltraSharp U2720Q was our main pick in an older version of this guide; compared with the S2722QC, it has a higher, 90 W USB-C charging rate and a slimmer border around the screen. If you can find it for around the same price as the S2722QC, it’s still worth considering. But as of this writing, it’s either out of stock or considerably more expensive than the S2722QC, and it’s just not worth paying extra for.

The biggest failing of the ViewSonic VG2756-4K is its mediocre 949:1 contrast ratio, which is okay in a budget monitor but harder to swallow in a model that usually costs around $500. Its performance in our color-accuracy tests was also mediocre. It has many of the other features we look for in a good 4K monitor, including a USB-C port, a USB hub (along with an Ethernet port), a flexible stand, and a three-year warranty. But its image quality is a step down from that of the Dell S2722QC and the HP Z27k G3.

Lenovo’s ThinkVision P27u-10 was our runner-up pick in an older version of this guide. It’s similar to the Dell S2722QC and the HP Z27k G3 overall, both in design and in the number and types of ports it has (though its USB-C port provides only 45 W of power, rather than the 65 W of the Dell monitor or the 100 W of the HP monitor). When we tested it in 2019, we found its colors to be fairly accurate but its contrast to be mediocre, and we also observed minor image-retention issues. In addition, its stand doesn’t swivel.

The LG 27BK67U-B and the LG 27BL55U-B are 4K monitors with good color that cost less than $400; the 67U-B has a USB hub and USB-C, whereas the 55U-B omits those features and generally costs less. But in our tests both monitors suffered from image retention, leaving behind noticeable afterimages that other budget monitors we tested didn’t have.

We dismissed the ViewSonic VP2768-4K and the BenQ PD2700U for their lack of USB-C connectivity, which is a must-have in $400-and-up monitors these days.

We dismissed the NEC EA271U-BK in 2019. It has handy features like picture-in-picture and picture-by-picture, and its stand and port layout are fine. But it generally costs more than our other 27-inch picks, so we didn’t test it in later rounds.

We also didn’t test the 27-inch LG UltraFine 5K Display, an even-higher-resolution screen for Macs with Thunderbolt 3. It’s very expensive, and getting it to work with Windows is either complicated or impossible depending on the PC you’re using.

The Acer B326HK and the BenQ PD3200U are sometimes cheaper than the 32-inch monitors we considered, but when we tested them in 2017 and 2019, respectively, we were disappointed by their mediocre contrast and color accuracy. They’re also missing newer features that we consider essential in a high-end monitor, such as a USB-C port.

Even though monitors have been getting bigger and bigger throughout the years, 27-inch monitors remain one of the most popular sizes. You can find them with different resolutions and for a variety of uses. This size of monitor strikes a good balance between having a large screen and not taking up too much desk space. Most 27-inch monitors either have a 4k or 1440p resolution, which both result in good text clarity, but there are a few cheaper ones with a 1080p resolution.

We"ve bought and tested over 250 monitors, and below are our recommendations for the best monitors you can buy with 27-inch screen sizes. Also, make sure to check out our recommendations for the best 27-inch gaming monitors, the best work monitors, and if you want something bigger, the best 32-inch monitors.

The best 27-inch monitor we"ve tested is the Dell U2723QE. It"s a high-end monitor with many features, and it"s great for office use and even excellent if you"re a photo or video editor. Its 4k resolution helps deliver crisp images and sharp text clarity, and it lets you open multiple windows at once compared to a lower-resolution 27-inch monitor. As it"s a premium monitor in Dell"s UltraSharp lineup, it has a massive USB hub that includes five USB-A ports and three USB-C ports, one of which supports 90 W of power delivery so you can charge a compatible device and display an image from it at the same time.

If you aren"t going to use the productivity features on the Dell U2723QE and instead want something for gaming, check out the LG 27GP950-B. While it has the same 4k resolution as the Dell U2723QE, it"s a different type of monitor because it has more gaming features. It"s excellent whether you need it for console or PC gaming as it has a 4k resolution and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, allowing you to play 4k games up to 120 fps without issue from the Xbox Series X and PS5. It has low input lag for a responsive gaming feel, and motion looks smooth thanks to its quick response time. It also has variable refresh rate (VRR) support to reduce screen tearing.

If you don"t need the gaming features of the LG 27GP950-B and you aren"t going to take full advantage of the massive USB hub of the Dell U2723QE, then the Dell S2722QC is also a great choice in the mid-range category. You don"t get the same gaming features as the LG, as it"s more focused on productivity with fewer features than the U2723QE, but it"s still an excellent office monitor. It has one USB-C port that supports DisplayPort Alt Mode with 65W of power delivery, which isn"t enough to charge power-hungry laptops, but it"s good enough to keep your battery going while you"re using it. It doesn"t have a dedicated sRGB mode like the U2723QE, which means some colors are over-saturated, but the color accuracy is still decent.

It performs well in bright rooms because it easily gets bright enough to fight glare, and its reflection handling is very good, even better than the U2723QE. Its flicker-free backlight is ideal if you need to use it for long hours, as it helps reduce eye strain. It also has wide viewing angles that make the image remain consistent from the sides if you need to share the screen with someone else.

If you prefer something cheaper, check out the Gigabyte M27Q, which is a good choice in the lower mid-range price category. It"s different from the Dell S2722QC because it has a lower 1440p resolution, meaning the text clarity isn"t as sharp. Because it uses a BGR subpixel layout instead of the standard RGB, there are some text clarity issues in certain programs that don"t support that subpixel format, but this isn"t an issue for everyday use. However, the main advantage the Gigabyte has over the Dell is that it has a higher refresh rate and better gaming performance, meaning it"s a more versatile monitor if you need something for work and play.

If you"re looking for the best 27-inch monitor and are on a budget, consider the Dell S2721QS. Despite being a lower-end model from the Dell S2722QC and maintaining the high 4k resolution, it still costs less than the Gigabyte M27Q, making it a good budget choice if you need something for productivity. However, there are a few features you have to sacrifice for getting a cheaper model, as this one doesn"t have any USB ports like on the Gigabyte or the S2722QC, meaning it"s a rather basic monitor that provides a high resolution with fantastic text clarity.

While the Dell S2721QS offers great value for its cost, there are some cheaper options you can get for a low cost, like the LG 27GL650F-B, which is a good cheap 27-inch monitor. If you don"t want to spend a ton of money on a monitor, you"ll have to give up a few features and get something with a lower resolution, which is the case with the LG. Its 1080p resolution isn"t ideal if you want the best text clarity possible, but it"s still decent and good enough for office work. It also has great peak brightness and decent reflection handling for use in a well-lit room.

The Gigabyte M27Q X is a newer version of the Gigabyte M27Q with a higher 240Hz refresh rate, making it the better option if you"re a competitive gamer, but it"s also hard to find, and if you find it, it costs more.

The LG 27GP850-B is very similar to the Gigabyte M27Q as it has nearly the same specs and costs about the same. The Gigabyte is more versatile for other uses thanks to its USB hub, but if you"re a gamer and care about motion handling, go for the LG.

The ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV is a budget-friendly monitor with better color accuracy than the Dell S2721QS. However, considering it has a lower resolution, it"s worth getting the Dell instead.

The Lenovo D27-30 is a basic monitor that"s even cheaper than the LG 27GL650F-B, but it also has worse peak brightness and viewing angles, so for a bit more, it"s worth going for the LG.

Renamed the Gigabyte M27Q as the "Best Lower Mid-Range 27-Inch Monitor" because its price has gone up and removed the ASUS ProArt Display PA278CV; added the Dell S2721QS as the "Best Budget 27-Inch Monitor" for consistency with other recommendations; updated Notable Mentions based on changes.

Restructured article to reflect user needs and for consistency; moved the Dell U2723QE to the "Best Monitor" and renamed the Dell S2722QC to "Best Mid-Range"; replaced the Dell S2721D with the Gigabyte M27Q because it"s easier to find; added the ASUS ProArt Display PA278CV and removed the Samsung Odyssey G7 LC32G75T.

Restructured article to reflect user needs; renamed the Samsung Odyssey G7 as the "Best For PC Gaming", the LG 27GP950-B as the "Best For Console Gaming", and the Dell S2722QC as the "Best 27 Inch Monitor"; added the Dell U2723QE as the "Best For Photo Editing" and replaced the ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV with the Dell S2721D because it"s cheaper.

Replaced the ASUS VG279QM with the ASUS ROG Swift PG279QM and renamed "G-SYNC Alternative"; replaced the Dell S2721QS with the newer Dell S2722QC for consistency; updated Notable Mentions based on changes.

Replaced the Dell UltraSharp U2720Q with the Dell S2721QS because it"s cheaper; added the Gigabyte G27Q and the Samsung Odyssey G7 S28AG70 to Notable Mentions.

Our recommendations are based on what we think are the best 27-inch displays currently available. They are adapted to be valid for most people, in each price range. Rating is based on our review, factoring in price and feedback from our visitors.

If you would prefer to make your own decision, here is the list of all of our 27-inch monitor reviews. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. Most monitors are good enough to please most people, and the metrics that fare worse are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.

Are you a programmer looking for a suitable monitor for your workspace? Well, here we have collected some of the Best Programming Monitors for developers. We have also mentioned the essential aspects to consider while choosing the monitors for developers. Before we start the collection, let"s know what makes monitors suitable for a programmer.

As technological advancements continue, there are a growing variety of finest programming monitors available on the market. If you"re a programmer with more particular requirements, we"ve tested and researched the top programming displays from LG, ViewSonic, and HP.

Note: We have collected some of the best monitors from the aspects of programmers. Although, by no way we claim that this is a complete list as there can be other monitors as well. Feel free to suggest your choice of monitors in the comment section below.

Color fidelity refers to how well the screen reports colored contents from a palette of sophisticated color hues, regardless of the panel type utilized for the specified color gamut. When it comes to panels, almost everyone agrees that an IPS panel is best for color performance, with VA panels coming in second.

Instead, refresh rates are measured in Hertz, and the matching value should be as high as feasible. Many displays run at 144Hz, however 160Hz and greater is preferable. Refresh rates refer to how frequently the screen changes what"s being displayed on it; the greater the refresh rate, the less ghosting and screen tearing you"ll experience.

However, it is the monitor"s functionality that sets it apart. The small bezels and inputs, which include HDMI and VGA, make it easy to set up numerous displays. The HP VH240a comes with a robust ergonomic stand that is height, tilt, and swivel adjustable, as well as pivoting 90 degrees. This level of customization is remarkable for a budget monitor and ideal for customizing a multi-monitor configuration.

The robust build quality, ergonomic stand, and narrow bezels will appeal to both programmers and designers. This huge monitor can be used as your main display, but it also works nicely with other displays. The panel can even pivot 90 degrees into portrait mode, which is typical on tiny monitors but unusual for a 32-inch monitor.

Programmers that value build quality, longevity, and design may pick Dell"s Ultrasharp U2719Dx monitor. This 27-inch monitor is designed specially for business customers, such as major enterprises and organizations, and features a basic, attractive design that fits in any setting. It"s a durable monitor with a wonderful ergonomic base that is adjustable for height, tilt, swivel, and pivot, and it combines an appealing design with outstanding image quality—though we wish it had 4K resolution (2180p)—and plenty of connectivity.

If you want to work with many monitors, the U2719D Ultrasharp is an excellent choice. It has a two-stage construction with attractive plastic bezels. The Infinity Edge technology is responsible for the overall borderless appearance. The stand is quite simple to adjust. To utilize the display in portrait mode, tilt, swivel, or rotate it. You may also adjust the height of the stand to optimize your posture and reduce eye strain.

The ViewSonic VG2756-4K provides excellent performance. Its usability is enhanced by the included ergonomic stand. Furthermore, the VG2756-4K has a greater swivel, tilt, and pivot range than its competitors. It can, for example, pivot in both directions, whereas many alternatives can only pivot in one direction. The stand may swivel up to 120 degrees (often 60 or 90 degrees) and tilt up to 45 degrees (25 degrees is standard).

Another advantage of the ViewSonic VG2756-4K is that it has small bezels, which are ideal for aligning several monitors. The space between each display is scarcely noticeable. The monitor is also USB-C compatible, allowing you to charge your laptop while connected. You can use the display as a USB-C hub thanks to the accompanying USB-A hubs and Ethernet ports.

How about picture quality? It"s adequate but not outstanding. The monitor"s 4K resolution is razor sharp, and it supports wide color gamut"s, but it"s no better than the Dell S2721QS, which is less expensive. The VG2756-4K prioritizes image quality over adaptability.

LG"s 34WK95U-W is ideal for those who enjoy ultrawide displays. It has a 5K display with a resolution of 5120x2160, which is one of the greatest pixel densities available on an ultrawide panel. It also performs well in terms of color accuracy, gamut (the range of color tones that may be displayed), and brightness.

The robust build quality, ergonomic stand, and narrow bezels will appeal to both programmers and designers. This huge monitor can be used as your main display, but it also works nicely with other displays. The panel can even pivot 90 degrees into portrait mode, which is typical on tiny monitors but unusual for a 32-inch monitor.

The ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV 27" WQHD Monitor is the next monitor. This is a 2K monitor with a 2560x1440 resolution, IPL display. When it comes to color integrity and rich image quality, IPS panels are preferred above TN and VA counterparts.

The Asus ProArt Display PA278QV, with its 27-inch screen and 4K resolution, is a terrific bargain at its low price. When compared to a panel with a refresh rate of 60Hz, a refresh rate of 75Hz means that any motion on the screen will appear smooth. It has two USB ports for charging, as well as a QuickFit Virtual Scale feature that lets you preview a document in its true size.

This monitor is for folks who frequently encounter displays with limited connectivity options. The large selection of connectors on this ASUS ProArt model should keep you covered for the foreseeable future, from USB 3.0, HMDI, and DisplayPort (along with Mini DisplayPort) to less-common port types like dual-link DVI-D and even a headphone jack.

The 27-inch monitor is a common choice for work displays because it"s large enough without being too bulky or too wide. The ViewSonic VG2765 is a 27-inch in-plane switching (IPS) display with a resolution of 2560x1440p, which allows you to see numerous windows and a lot of code at once.

In portrait mode, the 27-inch screen and 16:9 aspect ratio work well, and the VG2765 can rotate to take advantage of the vertical area. It has good ergonomics in general, with a wide range of swivel, tilt, and height adjustments. You should have little trouble finding a comfortable position on your desk, but it also comes with holes for VESA-compatible wall mounting if you wish.

BenQ"s PD2720U is the epitome of high-end technology. If you"re working in a multi-monitor arrangement with each monitor daisy-chained together, the BenQ monitor is an excellent choice. With built-in blue light filtering and anti-flickering, the monitor can provide the most value for your money. It is the ideal choice for any office.

The Acer XFA240 comes with AMD"s FreeSync and NVIDIA"s G-Sync. Thanks to its variable fresh rate, you don’t need to worry whether your GPU is powerful enough as this best monitor for coding delivers seamless performance with any hardware configuration. Unlike many budget models, it has an easily adjustable stand. You can change its height, tilt or rotate it, however, the mount is impossible to swivel.

The best monitor for coding in the budget category that we suggest is the Gigabyte G27Q. Overall, it"s a good office monitor with wide viewing angles, a great 1440p resolution, and a 27 inch size that delivers good text clarity. Visibility in a bright room isn"t an issue, as it has great peak brightness and good reflection handling, so it can easily overcome glare. Like all monitors on this list, the backlight is completely flicker-free at all brightness settings, which is great.

The best 1440p monitor for programming is the MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD. Although it"s mainly a gaming monitor, it"s also great for office use as it has a few extra features. It has wide viewing angles and great ergonomics, so you can easily adjust it to the ideal viewing position or share your screen with someone else, and everyone will see an accurate image.

Unfortunately, it has a low contrast ratio and just alright black uniformity, so it"s not the best choice for a dark room or if you like to use dark mode. There are also some issues with color accuracy on our unit before calibration, but this isn"t an issue for coding. Overall, if you"re a programmer and want a 1440p resolution, you should be happy with this one.

Ergonomics are also important. The best monitors for programming are easily adjustable, offering a good range of movement. You might also like a monitor that can be rotated to portrait orientation.

Other features to look out for include blue light filtering and flicker reduction, which help take the strain off your eyes. It might also be worth looking at the best monitor stands to ensure you get your setup just right.

Choosing one of the best 4K monitors is almost a must for anyone working in visual design, especially for those working in photography and video that want the additional detail that Ultra HD (UHD) offers.

UHD, or 4K, refers to a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels. That gives you four times as many pixels as full HD (FHD), which means more desktop workspace and increased pixel density for a cleaner, sharper image with more detail (as long as your monitor"s at least 27 inches, the extra detail will start to get lost on smaller screens).

Fortunately, the best 4K monitors are so much more affordable than they were that it"s no longer really a big decision whether to go 4K or not. There"s now a huge number of options on the market, starting at low prices and going way, way up. This can make it hard to know which is the best 4K monitor for your needs, but that"s the question we aim to resolve with the guide below.

We"ve picked out the best 4K monitors based on our own reviews, recommendations from working creatives and a full comparison of their specs. We"ve weighed up the pros and cons of each screen and evaluated them for build and ergonomics, image quality, useful features, colour support and accuracy, brightness and connectivity.

But we"ve also considered value for money to provide options for different needs. The best 4K monitors for features and image quality are hugely expensive and will be overkill for most people that aren"t professional photo or video editors or designs.

If you"re a professional who needs the very best, turn to the Eizo ColorEdge CG319X at number 4 or the Asus ProArt PA32UC-K at number 6. They"re not at the top of the list because they"re simply unaffordable for many people. Factoring in value, we"ve placed cheaper 4K monitors like the Dell S3221QS and Samsung U28E590D higher since they meet most people"s needs and a more realistic price.

If you"re looking for the best 4K monitor for specific tasks, you might also want to see our guides to the best monitor for photo editing and the best monitors for video editing. And while many of these screens can support daisy chaining for a dual monitor setup, you might also want to consider one of the best ultrawide monitors if you want more space to work with.

Pro features for under a grand put this at the top of our list of the best 4K monitors. Following in a long tradition of fine displays from Dell, the UltraSharp U3219Q offers full sRGB covering, 95 per cent DCI-P3 and exceptional colour uniformity, making it ideal for all types of creatives, including those working in photo and video.

Dell takes second place on our pick of the best 4K monitors too, but this time with a much more affordable display. So OK, perhaps it"s not exactly cheap, but it"s a lot more affordable than most good 4K monitors. It looks stunning too. Dell monitors aren"t known exactly known for their sleek looks, but the curved S3221QS is a lot more elegant than its name, standing out from all those black and grey business monitors with its white back and base.

The Eizo ColourEdge CG319X is the connoisseur’s choice in high-quality displays. Eizo displays are a very familiar sight in professional video and photography studios – and this 31-inch 4K monitor, with a 10-bit display and 24-bit colour look-up table, is a stunner. The CG319X also boasts one feature that sets it apart from competing high-end 4K screens: 4096 x 2160 resolution rather than 3840 x 2160. This reflects the slightly taller 4K standard used in digital video production.

For a more compact 4K monitor, this 28-inch Samsung 4K display follows very closely on the heels of the Dell 4K S3221QS at number 2 on our list of the best 4K monitors above in terms of value. It lacks pro features but there"s still 100 per cent support for the sRGB colour space, a high 300cd/square metre brightness level and support for 60Hz 4K.

Most displays are 16:9 or 16:10 format, so the 3:2 Huawei Mateview immediately got our attention when we tested it out. This slightly squarer format is good for viewing certain types of content – viewing images and documents in portrait format is easier, and a picture taken on a standard camera can be displayed full bleed. Of course, the flip side is that widescreen video will have big black bars on the top and bottom – so it’s probably not the best choice for movie-watching

Viewsonic has a few colour accurate displays on the market, and the VP2785-4K is the most high-end model in its catalogue. It"s a 27-inch 4K IPS screen, sporting 100 per cent sRGB and quoted 99 per cent AdobeRGB coverage. It’s a bit fiddly to put together, requiring a screwdriver to attach the panel to the stand, but the overall design is extremely svelte, with a thin and light build, near edge-to-edge screen, and only a small bezel at the bottom that accommodates touch-sensitive controls.

With a 14-bit LUT, 700:1 contrast ratio and 375-nit brightness, the picture quality of the VP2785-4K won’t disappoint, although it doesn’t quite deliver the same eye-popping colours of the most high-end 4K displays money can buy.What is a 4K monitor?4K, also known as ultra-high definition or UHD, is a measure of a screen"s resolution. 4K monitors have a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels, which compares to a resolution of 1290 x 1080 for full high definition (FHD). This means that it"s almost four times FHD resolution. What that means in practice is that images look sharper and tighter, which is great for viewing HD video and higher quality video game graphics.Do I need a 4K monitor?There are a couple of main reasons that you might benefit from a 4K monitor. Firstly, for your own enjoyment. Even if you"ll be using your screen purely for entertainment purposes rather than for work, 4K offers a notably sharper picture, which can enhance the enjoyment of watching films, series and playing games. That said, when it comes to PC gaming, 4K UHD resolution is very demanding and many will find that the improvement in image quality isn"t worth the drop in performance.

The other reason you might want one of the best 4K monitors is for work. If you work in any visual creative area, a 4K screen can improve your experience by allowing you to see your work in more definition. If you work in video, you"ll almost certainly need at least a 4K monitor since 4K video has almost become the norm. If you"re producing 4K video for a client, then you really need to be able to view it in 4K while you work.Is a 4K monitor worth it?Today, for most professionals it"s almost certainly worth investing one of the best 4K monitors. They"re still more expensive than 1080p displays, but they have come down in price a lot as they become standard, and they"re now so much more affordable than they were that it"s no longer such a big decision.

While 4K doesn"t make a lot of sense for a small monitor, from 27-inches and up, it makes a huge difference from FHD that will be immediately apparent to anyone. Gary Heiting, an optometrist and senior editor of the website AllAboutVision, even says that the increased screen resolution can reduce the risk of eye strain, so working in 4K over long sessions can be more comfortable even if you don"t need to produce 4K video.Is my computer compatible with a 4K monitor?You might hope that buying one of the best 4K monitors will automatically improve your viewing experience, but it"s important to know that not every laptop or PC can support 4K. Most recent PCs or Macs should have no problem displaying 4K resolution, but it"s a good idea to check your screen"s recommended display resolution before you buy a new screen. We have a guide to screen resolution that may help.

If your device uses Intel integrated graphics, you"ll want to have at least a 4th generation (Haswell) processor core processor. If you have Ivy Bridge or earlier, you"ll need to have a recent graphics card installed (if you"re unsure, you can check your processor at ark.intel.com to find out what the motherboard or integrated CPU graphics is capable of.How do I choose the best 4K monitor?You can now go 4K without spending a fortune, but the best 4K monitors can still be very expensive if you want pro-level calibration and the best colour accuracy. If you"re going to be using your screen for any kind of colour work, then you want precise colour accuracy. Most entry-level 4K monitors actually do a fairly decent job, but the best 4K monitors for designers will have full coverage of the AdobeRGB or DCI-P3 colour space.

Investing in a colour-accurate display will get you an excellent screen for black levels and brightness that will serve you well whether you"re working on images or video. You"ll want to invest in the best monitor calibrator too unless the monitor you choose comes with one of its own.

After colour, size is obviously another major factor in choosing the best 4K monitor for you. The most popular choice is 27-inches but 32-inch screens are becoming more common and get the most out of the 4K resolution.

You"ll also want to check what ports a monitor has before you buy it. The two cheapest options in our list of the best 4K monitors don"t have a USB-C connection, something that many creatives will want for hooking up devices quickly and easily. Most monitors have DisplayPort and HDMI ports, but this can"t be taken as given either – the LG Ultrafine 24MD4KL is well kitted out with USB-C and the faster Thunderbolt 3 ports, but skips the older ports.

If you’re used to the coherence of the Apple cocoon, the PC monitor market is a strange and frightening place. Despite a long history of producing quality screens like the 27-inch Thunderbolt Display, Apple no longer makes monitors other than the insanely priced $5000 Pro XDR Display. Instead, Apple endorses the $700 24-inch LG UltraFine 4K Display and the $1300 27-inch LG UltraFine 5K Display by virtue of selling them—and them alone—in the online Apple store. Alas, those monitors are costly and, in my opinion, underwhelming apart from their pixel density.

Buying a monitor is like navigating a minefield. The market is full of 27-inch and larger screens that support only 1080p resolution and a pixel density of around 100 pixels per inch, about half of any Retina display you’re used to. Even if you find a sharp enough monitor, you may have trouble connecting it to your Mac. Many displays still feature hoary VGA ports that first appeared in 1987. Some have only HDMI ports (that’s a TV, not a monitor), and HDMI is chock full of gotchas: you could buy a 1440p monitor and, thanks to weird HDMI limitations, be stuck at a blurry 1080p resolution. Or you could buy a monitor that advertises USB-C connectivity only to find that the USB-C port works only for power and accessory connections, not video. One false step, and boom, you’ve got a worthless monitor.

If you use a 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K display like many of us here at TidBITS, it’s easy to be spoiled by its pristine image quality. Unfortunately, there’s no way to press a Retina iMac into service as an external display—Target Display Mode works only with a small subset of pre-Retina iMacs. It’s challenging to find a reasonably priced display that fits the bill, especially since 5K monitors never took off (see “What Happened to 5K Displays?,” 16 November 2018).

Staring these cold, hard facts in the face, I decided to spend a bit more than I had hoped and buy the LG 27UK850-W, which usually sells for $450 but was on sale for $380. Even at full price, it’s $250 cheaper than the LG UltraFine 4K display and $850 less than the LG UltraFine 5K.

The LG 27UK850-W features a 27-inch IPS panel with a 3840-by-2160 resolution, which I calculate to be about 163 ppi. By comparison, the 21.5-inch iMac with Retina 4K display features 219 ppi, and the 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K display offers 218 ppi. LG advertises 10-bit color, though a careful reading of the specs reveals that it’s actually an 8-bit display plus A-FRC, which approximates the other colors. The display features HDR10 support for the handful of Macs that support it, plus the Apple TV 4K and various videogame consoles. It supports 99% of the sRGB spectrum.

In terms of connectivity, the LG 27UK850-W features one USB-C port that supports data, video, and 60-watt charging; one DisplayPort; two HDMI ports; two USB-A ports; and a headphone jack. It comes with white USB-C, HDMI, and DisplayPort cables.

The LG 27UK850-W’s design is very Apple-esque, at least as of about 2005. The back of the monitor is encased in white plastic. The front bezels are black. LG advertises the display as “virtually borderless,” which means there is a bezel, but it’s a thin one on the top and sides. It has less bezel space than the iMac, though the thicker bezel on the bottom bothers me somewhat because it’s uneven (the iMac has a chin as well).

I like how the cables connect in the rear. Unlike my old Dell monitor, which awkwardly forced me to insert cables upward, the cables on the LG 27UK850-W plug straight into the back, making life much easier.

I’m more ambivalent about the LG 27UK850-W’s internal settings control system, a small joystick behind the bottom of the panel. A quick flick up or down shows display information. A flick left or right controls speaker volume. You click the joystick to access the menu or select on-screen items.

An interesting fact about the LG 27UK850-W is that, unlike most monitors that take a standard, three-prong power cable, it comes with a power brick that connects with a DC barrel plug. Some online reviewers complained about this approach, but I like that if the power supply fails, I can replace it without cracking open the monitor. I also like not having to fool with a big, clunky power cable if I need to move the monitor. Those three-prong power cables can be a bear to insert and remove.

Connectivity is almost as important as image quality. It’s hard to find monitors with the right assortment of ports. And they always have too many HDMI ports. I’d prefer two USB-C ports, two DisplayPorts, and just one HDMI port, if that. As noted previously, the LG 27UK850-W provides one USB-C port, one DisplayPort, two HDMI ports, two USB-A ports, and a headphone jack.

The USB-C port works as advertised, at least with my 2019 iMac and my 2016 MacBook Pro. I plugged the included cable into both machines and the picture popped up almost instantly. A nice feature of the LG 27UK850-W is that it prompts you to switch to the appropriate input when it detects a new device; just click the joystick to switch over. When my 13-inch MacBook Pro is connected to the monitor through USB-C, the monitor keeps the laptop charged.

HDMI, as always, is thorny. My Apple TV 4K connected to the LG 27UK850-W beautifully, with full 4K and HDR right away. I decided to connect my iMac to the monitor through HDMI, to leave the monitor’s DisplayPort open for my ThinkPad and its USB-C port for my MacBook Pro. However, the iMac doesn’t have HDMI output, and none of my USB-C hubs support 4K output. I ended up buying an inexpensive Anker USB-C to HDMI adapter, which works fine with full 4K 60 Hz output.

One minor annoyance is I can’t control the monitor’s speaker volume from the Mac; I have to use the monitor’s volume control. This seems to be a macOS limitation since I can control it from Ubuntu Linux on my ThinkPad just fine. It would be a bigger deal with a Mac mini, but since the iMac’s speakers are so much better than those in the LG 27UK850-W, I use those instead.

You’re probably wondering how the LG 27UK850-W compares to Apple’s Retina displays given that its 163 ppi is much lower than the 218/219 ppi in Apple’s iMacs. The LG 27UK850-W is still plenty crisp, but I noticed some eye strain after a few days of using it. Upon close inspection, I noticed that text on it is ever so slightly fuzzy compared to the 27-inch iMac. Even with font smoothing disabled, text on the LG 27UK850-W is fuzzy.

I think this is primarily an artifact of how Apple tunes macOS to look best on Retina displays.  When I crank my Linux machine to 4K, text on the LG 27UK850-W looks as razor-sharp as it does on the iMac’s screen, if not more so. (Don’t take this as an endorsement of Linux; it has more than its share of headaches, such as poor support of scaling to ultra-high-resolution displays.)

Speaking of scaling, the first thing I had to do when I connected my Macs to this display was open System Preferences > Displays. Then, on the window that appeared on the LG monitor, I selected Scaled and then the second option, which scales the resolution to match the 2560-by-1440 resolution of my iMac’s screen.

The LG 27UK850-W has a feature called Super Resolution+ that adds an extra layer of sharpness to the image. In other words, it adds aliasing or “jaggies.” It can be helpful when viewing soft text or upscaled content, and if you’re the sort of person who hates how smooth text looks on the Mac, you’ll probably love this feature.

I can confirm that the LG is not as bright as the iMac. I cranked up the brightness on both, and the LG is considerably dimmer. That said, I tend to find Apple displays painfully bright, so if you’re somewhat light-sensitive like me, this isn’t a big deal.

As for color, it looks pretty good after some calibration. I used the RTINGS settings for the LG 27UK650-W and installed their ICC color profile, which got me pretty close to the iMac’s display. Looking at the two side-by-side, the LG looks slightly duller than the iMac, though I don’t do enough graphics work to care much.

LG offers software to interface the monitor with a hardware calibrator, but it reportedly does not work with macOS 10.15 Catalina. That might be a dealbreaker for some professionals, but the good news is that the LG 27UK850-W has a slew of fine calibrations. Beyond just three-color adjustments, you can make six-color adjustments for red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, and yellow. I haven’t found that necessary.

The LG 27UK850-W has several built-in presets, none of which are particularly helpful. There’s a reader mode that acts like Night Shift, putting a yellow haze over the screen to reduce blue light, but it looks much weirder than Night Shift. There are the typical photo and cinema modes, which again look strange to me. There’s an HDR effect mode that tries to make everything look like HDR video, which is odd but interesting. And there are three special gaming modes: two for first-person shooters and one for real-time strategy games, which is something I’ve never seen before. I can’t comment on these modes, though I have found gaming presets helpful in the past because they often do special tricks to enhance the display’s response time.

Speaking of HDR, I don’t have a compatible Mac, but I do have an Apple TV 4K, and despite its 8-bit panel, HDR looks great on the LG 27UK850-W. The Apple TV 4K immediately turned on both 4K and HDR, and I was able to bump the chroma setting without issue. I sampled a few films that take advantage of HDR, such as Mad Max: Fury Road and The Fifth Element. Both looked great, with the full, rich color you’d see on an HDR-compatible iPhone or iPad. However, note that the LG 27UK850-W supports only HDR 10 and not Dolby Vision.

Viewing angles are fine. I haven’t noticed any color change or brightness dropoff as I move around my office. Nor is there any ghosting or other issues associated with cheap LCD screens.

The built-in 5-watt speakers are way better than those in my ThinkPad but not as good as my iMac’s speakers. I’d say they’re middle-of-the-road for speakers built into an LCD screen. However, I do enjoy the convenience of connecting an HDMI or DisplayPort device and having audio right there without having to set up additional speakers on my desk. It will make Apple TV testing easier.

I tested the headphone port while sampling movies from the Apple TV 4K. Sometimes monitor headphone jacks diminish the audio quality, but I was blown away at how good the audio sounded on my Sony MDR-V6 headphones. I much prefer connecting my headphones directly to my computer, but that’s not an option with the Apple TV 4K. If you want your monitor to act as a personal movie machine, the LG 27UK850-W is a great pick. Note that MaxxAudio is disabled when headphones are connected.

The LG 27UK850-W is a good monitor for the price, but no monitor on the market is as good as I’d like. If only Apple would bring back a modernized Thunderbolt Display!

Should I go with 24 or 27 inches? Full HD or 4K? If questions like that are spinning around your head, chances are you"ve just begun to search for a new monitor to make your work-at-home (or play-at-home) setup more productive. We"ll try to slow down your spinning head with this guide.

If you"re just looking for a generic display for working or schooling at home and don"t want to hurt your brain thinking about it too much, for adults I recommend a 27-inch flat-screen display with 4K resolution, and one that uses an IPS panel. That should run about $500. If you need to go cheaper, drop to a 24-inch model with 1,920x1,080-pixel aka full HD resolution, which you can get for less than $150; 22 or 24 inches is a good choice for kids, too, or if you need something for a small space, but honestly, it"s on the small side.

If you want to go a little more in-depth, here are some rules of thumb to follow:Within the constraints of your budget and desk space, get the largest monitor you can. You"ll rarely regret buying a monitor that"s too big, but you"ll frequently regret buying one that"s too small. There are also super-widescreen monitors with 21:9 aspect ratio (also known as 2.35:1). Many of these models are curved, and most of them are 34-inch displays with lower-than-4K resolution. It"s mostly a specialty item for gamers.

For example, on a 27-inch display, 1,920x1,080 has a pixel density of 81.59 ppi. On a 24-inch display, it"s 91.79 ppi. Because a higher density is better up to a point, FHD will look better on the smaller screen. This also depends on your vision: For me, too low a resolution and I can see the pixel grid and at slightly better than that I see nothing but jaggies on small serif type. So "optimal" really depends on what you"re looking at and personal preference. My preference is at least 100ppi. Once again, DPI Calculator can do the math for you. (A related spec to pixel density is dot pitch,a measure of the spaces between the pixels. For that, smaller is better.)

But another important consideration when figuring out what resolution to get relative to screen size is scaling. On a 27-inch screen, the operating system (both Windows and Mac OS) can scale interface elements to be larger, but never smaller. For a given screen size and pixel density, 100% scale is bigger for lower densities. The bottom line is you can frequently scale high-density screens to make the elements bigger, but you can never scale low-density screens to make them smaller. In other words, if you"re buying a bigger monitor thinking you"ll be able to fit more on the screen, you can"t. Even in applications that let you zoom independently, like Chrome, you quickly lose readability when you view at less than 100% at low pixel densities.

To me, curved monitors are the best way to make a single display wider without forcing you to sit too far back; that"s why they make more sense for a desktop monitor than for a TV. Optimally, you should be able to see the entire screen without moving your head too much. Once you get beyond roughly 27 inches, that requires a curve if you"re sitting at a desk. Don"t get me started on the "immersive experiences," of curved screens: Unless that display wraps all the way around me, it"s no more immersive than any other.

The amount of curve is expressed in "R", the radius of its arc in millimeters. For a given display size, bigger numbers are tighter arcs, so 1,800R (the radius of many 27-inch curved displays) is shallower than 2,000R. Too much of a curve can be distracting, while too little may as well be flat. However, ignore all the talk of how "immersive" they are. They really aren"t yet, at the very least because many games still aren"t able to take full advantage of the nonstandard aspect ratios. On the other hand, unlike curved TVs, you"ll always be sitting in the sweet spot, so glare shouldn"t be an issue.

Many widescreen models tend to have a 21:9 aspect ratio, which means they"re wider and shorter than other displays and full-screen video will be pillarboxed. But larger monitors without a curve at a more common 16:9 aspect ratio would require you to be bobbleheaded because they"d be quite tall: 24 inches (61 cm) high for a 49-inch monitor versus 19 inches (48 cm).

You don"t really need to know anything about panel technology for buying a general-purpose display except that cheapest option TN (twisted nematic) isn"t great, VA (vertical alignment) is somewhat better and that IPS and PLS (in-plane switching and plane-line switching) are the same thing and currently the best options. They do differ when it comes to specific needs, such as gaming or color-critical work. Almost all of them use LCD technology: You"ll frequently see backlit LCDs referred to as LED-lit. These are not related to OLED displays, which haven"t really materialized for the desktop due to various technical issues.

This is the total number of colors a monitor can display. It"s frequently expressed as a percentage of a color space,which is an artificial construct that encompasses all the colors a device shouldbe able to produce for a given purpose. Color spaces are really meant for use in color matching across devices that have different reproduction characteristics. For example, the Adobe RGB color space was designed to encompass real-world colors on a display for reproducing in print. sRGB was designed as a lowest-common-denominator standard for colors used by typical consumer monitors viewing the web. Displays with more than 100% sRGB are invariably anything but TN, and usually IPS.

This is the number of times per second (in Hertz, or Hz) the screen can update, and affects motion blur and artifacts like tearing, which occur when the rate at which the graphics card is feeding the display and the display"s refresh rate differ significantly. For any task in which frame rate (frames per second) matters, refresh rate may be an issue. (That predominantly means gaming, though high-frame-rate video editing or viewing may also be affected.) 60Hz is the minimum you want for comfort -- most monitors support that -- and 75Hz is comfortable for most nongaming uses. TN remains the best technology for getting stratospheric refresh rates: 300Hz or 360Hz are TN. But IPS panels can now hit 240Hz, which means there"s a lot less of a tradeoff using them for gaming than there used to be. You can find everything you"ve ever wanted to know about refresh rate and more at Blur Busters.

If possible, you have to see them in real life. I"ve headed out to buy a specific display based on the specs and ended up changing my mind when I got up close and personal with it. For example, displays with similar screen sizes can look or feel smaller or bigger than you thought, be more reflective or dull than you like, or it can be impossible to reach the connectors. As with TVs, however, keep in mind that there are a few things that you can"t judge in a store. The biggest is, sadly, image quality, which includes color rendering, brightness and black level. But you can tell if you find the screen readable and if you think it"s ugly.

Getting a superb viewing experience with the best monitors for MacBook Pro. As amazing as MacBook displays are, they can feel cramped you"re doing some major multitasking or in the middle of a video editing session. Having a dedicated monitor with a bigger screen will help simplify your workflow, which then saves you a lot of time and effort.

We"ve used, tested, and reviewed our share of monitors over the years (see our how we test page for more details). And we gathered the best monitors for MacBook Pro users, picking them based on their features, picture quality, overall performance, and of course, price. Because having a display that delivers excellent picture quality and more screen real estate for multitasking is vital.

Since many MacBook Pro owners are creative professionals, we"ve included a few with fantastic-looking displays that offer fantastic colour accuracy and excellent colour coverage. You"ll find that these are also among the best 4k monitor and best monitors for video editing on the market. Most of our picks have USB-C connectivity so you won’t have to spend extra on a dock for MacBook Pro.

If you are looking for accessories for your MacBook Pro, we recommend getting a MacBook stand to get that MacBook Pro display at a healthier and more comfortable eye level. If you’re sporting a Mac Mini instead, check out the best monitors for Mac mini.

The Dell UltraSharp UP2720Q is a terrific combination of great performance and great features. At the centre of it all, of course, are its 4K resolution and excellent colour coverage. We yielded 99.8% of the sRGB gamut, 96.1% of the Adobe RGB space, and 95% of the DCI-P3 gamut during testing, but its built-in colourimeter should help you calibrate for even better picture quality.

Meanwhile, its ergonomic stand that can swivel, pivot, and tilt, as well as adjust vertically, makes it excellent for creative workflows as well. And, of course, the 27-inch panel will give you plenty of room to spread out, especially when combined with its 4K resolution, giving you a high pixel density of 163ppi. The connectivity options will also be very welcome for MacBook users thanks to 2 Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports and 90W power delivery.

The ASUS ProArt PA278CV is an affordable yet still impressive option for creative professionals who do not have the budget for an expensive piece of kit. This 1440p display may not reach quite the heights of some of the other creator-oriented displays on this list. However, it comes pretty close and boasts some excellent yet useful features that give you a lot more value for your money.

To start, it delivers a colour accuracy of Delta E < 2 as well as 100% sRGB and Rec.709 colour coverage. It also comes pre-calibrated out of the box – something you rarely see on cheaper displays. It also allows for easy colour adjustments, from switching between various colour gamut modes to fine-tuning all sorts of parameters to get the screen looking the way you want.

Apple"s laptops are perennially popular with photographers, and if you"re looking for the best monitor to edit photos on, the BenQ SW321C PhotoVue is it. After all, as one of the monitors from the brand"s photography monitor line, it is specifically designed with creatives in mind.

After testing this gorgeous and impressive monitor in-depth, we can truly say that if you"re a photographer who works on a MacBook Pro, this is one of the best monitors you can buy right now. The wide colour gamut of 99% Adobe RGB and 100% sRGB, which the display delivers on test, is essential for photographers. Meanwhile, videographers working in the DCI-P3 colour will appreciate its 95% coverage. Of course, all creative professionals will appreciate how colour accurate it is out of the box, giving us an impressive Delta E of 0.9 on average during testing.

Sometimes, the best workflows are those in which you can spread out, and that’s what this almost 40-inch 4K monitor offers: space. Regardless of whether you simply like to stream Netflix while working or you need all that screen real estate for a more seamless creative process when video editing, the Dell UltraSharp U4021QW delivers it for you. In 4K no less.

If you are a content creator, you’ll also be glad to know that this pick for the best monitors for MacBook Pro boasts 100% sRGB, 100% Rec. 709, and 98% DCI-P3 colour coverage. This display not only comes with gorgeous picture quality, but it does so with accurate and outstanding colours, which makes it even more ideal for photo editing, cinematic colour grading, and graphics design.

It turns out that if you want the best of the best monitors for MacBook Pro, you"ll need a big ol" budget – who knew? Ah, but it"s so worth it. Who doesn"t love essential equipment that self-calibrates?

When we say this is the best monitor for MacBook Pro video work, we"re not claiming that it"s the equivalent of a true reference monitor – but if you want to work in HDR and need something more reasonable in price and more desk-friendly, this is exactly what you need.

This 14-inch wonder might cost a bit more than you’d be willing to pay for a portable monitor, but trust us when we say that it’s worth the price and more and more than worthy of this list of the best monitors for MacBook Pro. That"s especially if you"re a content creator with very specific colour coverage needs, as it delivers 100% sRGB a